Fulling mill



Oct. 11, 1927. 0

E. J. WILSON FULLING MILL Filed April 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l v Q%AWQ Oct.11,1927. 0

E. J. WILSON FULLING MILL Filed April 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct.11,1927. 1,645,210

E. J. WILSON FULLING MILL Filed April 0. 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 5 l l l q I(kw AMYW Patented @ct. ll, 192?.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZEKIEI. J. WILSON, OF EAST GBEENBUSH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 1'0 F. C.HUYCK & SONS, F BENSSELAER, NE N YORK, A CORPORATION .OF NEW YORK.

FULLING MILL.

Application filed April 30, 1823. .Serial No. 635,794.

The invention relates to fulling mills for fu'lling fabric such, for1nstance, as endless felts designed for use in paper making maoperatedupon or its condition at any stage of the fulling operation, and also toprovide a construction by which the operator may determine the methodbest suited to secure the rapid and desired fulling of a fabric of givendesign and character, and may thereafter repeat the same method oftreatment in fulling like fabric, thereby reducing the length of timerequired for the fulling operation and also avoiding the delaysincident' to repeated removal and testing of the fabric during theprogress of the fulling.

To these ends the invention contemplates the provision in a fulling millprovided with main fulling rolls, the pressure of which on the fabricmay be adjusted, of means for measuring and indicating the pressureapplied to the fabric by the rolls and also contemplates the provisionof two throat posts preferably in the form of rolls which may apply tothe fabric drawn between them by the main rolls, a pressure which isalso measured and indicated and may be adjusted as desired. The meansfor measuring and indicating the pressure applied by the main rollsenables the operator to apply predetermined or known pressures to thefabric and to vary these pressures at such intervals and in suchrelation as experience shall demonstrate is best suited for the rapidand desired fulling of the particular fabric being operated upon. Thecombination of the throat posts or rolls with the main rolls permits thelengthwise pull put on the fabric by the main rolls to be varied oradjusted as found desirable to insure the proper relative shrinkage inwidth and length during the fulling. By measuring and indicating thispressure, as well as the pressure of the main rolls, the best methods oftreatment for different fabrics may be determined and thereaftersubsequently repeated for like fabrics and the rapidity and uniformityof the fulling thereby increased.

A machine embodying one form of the invention is shown I in theaccompanying drawings in'which Fig. 1 is a right hand side elevation ofthe machine, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3is a. partial plan view, and Fig. 4 is a partial front elevation.

The machine shown is provided with the usual casing 2, for containingand supporting the fabric passing to and from the devices which workthereon. The machine is also provided with a pair of main fulling rollscomprising the lower roll 4 carried on the end of a shaft 6 mounted infixed bearings and an upper roll 8 mounted for movement toward and fromthe lower roll. The roll 8 is provided at its ends with trunnions 10carried in bearings 12 mounted to slide vertically between fixed guidingbrackets 14. The means for forcing the roll 8 toward the roll a with aregulated or adjustable pressure comprises a lever in the form of aframe provided with two side bars 16 connected by a cross rodi18 andcross bars. one of which is indicated at 20 in Fig. The forward end ofthe lever is connected with the bearings 12 by thrust links 22, thelower ends of which are pivoted to the bear ings, and the upper ends ofwhich are pivoted on the cross rod 18. The side bars of the lever arepivoted at 24 upon the frame of the machine and extend rearwardly andform guide arms engaging the outer surfaces of vertical guide bars 26.Near their rear ends the bars 16 are provided with transverse bearingblocks 28 which are engaged by the ends of a heavy multiple 'leaf spring30. The center of the spring is secured in a. head 32 which is connectedthrough a chain 34; with the hoist 36 by which the spring may beadjusted to vary the pressure applied thereby to the le l ler andthrough it to the upper fulling ro The means for measuring andindicatingthe pressure applied to the fabric by the main rolls is included intheconnection between thehoist 36 and the spring through which thespring is adjusted and comprises the elliptical spring 'link '38, theupper end of which is connected to the chain '34 and the lower end ofwhich is connected with the head 32 at the center of the spring. Variation in thepull of the spring 730 on the spring link 38 will cause thesides of the link to move toward or from each other and this movementcauses a finger 40 to levers 52.

move over graduations on the scale 42 and thus measure and indicate thepressure exerted by the spring on the lever bars 16. The scale may becalibrated to indicate the pressure applied by the main rolls to thefabric. The head 32 may be guided by a rod 4 1 which slides through aguide 46 and has its upper end secured to the head.

The fabric supported within the casing 2 passes up over the'horizontalguide rolls l8 and'from the upper roll passes between two verticalthroat posts which are spaced for the passage of the fabric between themand are arranged directly in front of the main rolls. The throat postsare preferably in the form of rolls, the upper ends of which arejournaled in the rear ends of supporting ported on a cross bar 5st andare connected by gear segments 56 so that they move simultaneously andin unison toward and from each other. The forward ends of the supportinglevers 52 are connected by pin and slot connections 58 with the innerends of two levers 60, the outer ends of which are connected by anadjustable spring linh connection through which separation of the throatrolls by the fabric passing between them may be resisted. The springlink connect-ion comprises ascrew-threaded rod 62 passing through one ofthe levers 60, a measuring and indicating device or connected 'with theend of the other lever and a coiled ing finger 74: and the other side ofwhich ing between them.

carries the rack 76 engaging a pinion on the pivot of the indicatingfinger.

By adjustment of the pulley 68 the throat rolls may be adjusted to applyany desired pressure to the fabric drawn between them .by the main rollsand to offer any desired resistance to separation by the fabric pass-This pressure or resistance will be measured or indicated by the finger74 and graduated dial 72, and therefore the throat rolls may be adjustedto apply a known or predetermined pressure to the fabric. This pressurewill be substan tiallyuniform since anyslight movementot' the throatrolls toward or from each other during the passage of the fabric betweenthem-will be taken up by the coiled'spring 66 The levers are pivot-allysup tension or pull on the fabric between The fabric drawn through thethroat rolls is'thr .st by the main rolls through a. trough or spoutcomprising the base board 78, side boards 80 and pivoted verticallymovable evening board 82 which may be of con- 'or other-fabric to beintroduced laterally 'IIItO thetrough and between the main rolls.

To facilitate the introduction of the fabric the right hand throat rollmay also be mounted so that it may be swung up for the introduction ofthe fabric and then returned to normal position after the fabric hasbeen introduced. For this purpose the right hand lever 52 may be made intwo sections pivoted together as indicated at 86 in Fig. 3 and locked innormal position by a bolt 88 indicated in Fig. 1. For convenience indisengaging aud re-engaging the bolt its outer end may be bent laterallyto engage a slot in thepivoted operating lever arranged at the side ofthe machine frame. b

By the construction shown and described the operator may readily adjustthe pressure applied to the fabric by themain fulling roll and thepressure applied to the fabric by the throat rolls to subject the fabricto known pressures for any desired periods and to subject the fabric tothat method of treatment which experience has demonstrated will mostquickly Secure the desired fulling and the proper relativ shrinkage inlength and width If upon removing and measuring the fabric, as iscustomary at intervals during the fulling operation. it is found thatthe shrinkage in length is .too rapid as compared with shrinkage inwidth the pressure of throat rolls. may be increased so that the the thethe throat rolls and main rolls will be increased with atendency todecrease the shrinkage in length; If, on the other hand, it is foundthat the shrinkage in length is too slow as compared with theshrinlragein width the pressure of the throat rolls may be decreased or may beremoved so that the rolls act merely as guide rolls, or in the-case of8X- cessive variation the, evening board 82 may be adjusted so that the.throat will offer greater resistance .to the passage of the .fabricpushed therethrough' by themain rolls. The pressure of the mainrolls'mayalso be adjusted in any manner which experience has shown is desirableand to apply a known pressure. Fabrics may thus be subjected to knownand uniform treatment and to that treatment which experience may demonstrate will give the best-results.

While it is preferred to employ substantially the construction andarrangement of parts shown and described it will be understood that thisconstruction and arrangement is not essential to the broader features ofthe invention and may be varied or modified as found desirable or bestsuited to the construction and the arrangement of the parts of themachine in which such features may be embodied.

I claim 1. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fullingrolls, the upper one of which is carried in vertically movable bearings,a lever, the forward end of which is connected with the bearings, aspring acting on the rear end of the lever, and devices for adjustingthe force of the spring including a measuring and indicating devicesubjected to the force of the spring.

2. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fulling rolls,the upper one of which is carried in vertically movable bearings, alever, the forward end of which is connected with the bearings, and therear end of which is provided with two spaced arms, a leaf spring, theends of which act on the arms, an adjustable support for the center ofthe spring, means for applying an adjusted pull to the support, and ameasuring and indicating device through which the pull is applied.

3. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fulling rolls, apair of throat posts mounted to yield as the fabric is drawn betweenthem by the main rolls,.a spring connected to resist the yielding of theposts. and means for measuring and indicating the resistance offered bythe spring.

l In a fulling mill the combination of apair of main fulling rolls, apair of throat posts between which the fabric is drawn by the mainrolls, means for maintaining the posts in parallel relation and forpressing them yieldingly against the fabric adjustable to vary thepressure on the fabric, and means for measuring and indicating saidpressure.

5. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fulling rolls, apair of throat posts mounted to yield as the fabric is drawn betweenthem by the main rolls, a spring connected to resist the yielding of theposts, means for adjusting the spring to vary the resistance offeredthereby, and means for measuring and indicating the resistance of feredby the spring.

6. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fulling rolls, apair of throat posts between which the fabric is drawn by the mainrolls, adjustable means for pressing the throat posts yieldingly againstthe fabric including a device for measuring and indicating the pressureapplied by the'posts.

7. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fulling rolls,two throat posts between which the' fabric is drawn by the main rolls,two pivoted supports for the posts connected to move simultaneously inopposite directions, levers connected with the supports, an adjustablelink connection between the ends of the levers comprising a spring and ameasuring and indicating device.

8. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of horizontal mainfulling rolls, a pair of vertical throat rolls, supports for the throatrolls movable to and from each other, one of said supports comprisingtwo sections pivotally connected to permit the corresponding roll to beswung up so that the fabric may be passed horizontally into positionbetween the two sets of rolls, and means for latching the two sectionstogether.

9. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of main fulling rolls,the upper one of which is carried in vertically movable bearings, alever the forward end of which is connected with the bearings and therear end of which is provided with two spaced arms, a leaf spring theends of which act on the arms, an adjustable support for the center ofthe spring, and means for adjusting the support.

EZEKIEL J. WILSON.

